


The Joys of Love and the English Language

by CosmoKid



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Hated for the English Language, M/M, Marriage Proposal, kind of, this is literally just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 18:23:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8588983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmoKid/pseuds/CosmoKid
Summary: In which Steve recounts signing up for a pen pal system to help people learn the English language not to fall in love with them and Bucky is an angry Russian who hates the English language.





	

If someone asked Steve to pinpoint the exact moment in which he fell in love with Bucky Barnes, he’d probably spend hours mulling it over, weighing up all the different memories he had and end up choosing some sappy moment like kissing on the first date or introducing Bucky to his Dad. It wasn’t really true, though, he could lie all he want and act like it was some goddamn romance movie, but he knew exactly what moment he fell in love with Bucky.

It wasn’t some cliché moment where Bucky’s shirt had risen up and he stared too long and it definitely wasn’t love at first sight even if Steve had been very glad that Bucky wasn’t good enough at English to understand Steve had muttered ‘mother fucker, he’s hot’ the first time they’d skyped. No one had warned him that his pen pal would be pretty.

No, the exact moment he fell in love with Bucky was much worse than that. Steve was very appreciative of Bucky in that moment because Bucky never complained when Steve ranted to him about stuff and Steve ranted a lot. It was a lazy afternoon on a weekend when they were skyping, Bucky lying on his front and twirling his long hair around his fingers while Steve decreed everything he hated like he did most days. 

“I just don’t get why we need to always base everything in binaries. Like why do we need to call it housewife and househusband when there are so many better alternatives that don’t exclude people and don’t carry negative connotations!” It wasn’t a newsworthy subject, but it was just one more finite detail that divided society. People always said Steve took things too seriously, forgetting that he studied sociology alongside art. Of course, he’d notice these details and plus, Bucky never told him that his rants were stupid and he lived in Russia!

“Yeah and what would those be?” Bucky had giggled slightly as he spoke, sitting up a bit more. He had a stupid grin on his face as his hair flopped as he shifted to sit straight. Steve didn’t think he’d ever get over how cute Bucky was.

Steve, being the eager little shit he knew he was, had jumped straight into listing off his many alternatives, only stopping when Bucky interrupted him.

“Spouse? What the fuck is that?” Steve didn’t mean to say ‘language’ out loud, but he did. It was a reflex. Although Bucky wasn’t fazed by it, still staring at Steve like he was speaking French.

“Spouse? Like one side of a marriage?” he tried to explain, eyebrows scrunching up as he tried to figure out how to define ‘spouse’ and how Bucky hadn’t ever heard it before.

“Come again? Are you sure you didn’t make that up?” A slight smirk was teasing at the edge of Bucky’s lips now as he stared puzzlingly at Steve. Damn, Steve could get lost in those eyes for days and find Narnia. 

“Definitely not. S-P-O-U-S-E?” Steve tried, feeling slightly more helpful now.

“You mean spooze?” He didn’t mean to burst out laughing, he really didn’t. Spoiler alert, he did. It was just so funny hearing it out loud and seeing Bucky’s priceless expression didn’t help him. He looked a mix of angry, confused and just done with the English language. 

“It’s pronounced spouse Buck,” Steve finally managed to gasp out between laughing, actually clutching at his sides as he continued to guffaw. 

“You are shitting me right now, aren’t you?” Bucky questioned, his eyes pleading, “You’re not. I’m so done with your language, so done,” he sighed after Steve didn’t reply.

“I’m sorry Bucky,” Steve apologised once he was done laughing, wiping tears from his eyes. Spooze just sounded so funny, he couldn’t help himself.

“I hate your language so much,” Bucky mumbled his response, crossing his mock anger as he pretended to sulk. It was in that moment when Steve realised that he was in love with Bucky. He didn’t know what caused it, but watching Bucky blow lightly at his hair, trying to get his fringe out of his eyes was just so beautiful for Steve. There was just something about Bucky that called to Steve and made him want to marry Bucky. 

It was probably super creepy considering they’d never even touched yet, they’d only seen each other on a monitor. He felt so close to Bucky even if he was a continent away

“Why did you think it was pronounced like that?” Steve pried, trying to ignore his thoughts of how cute Bucky looked while he sulked, genuinely curious as to why Bucky thought it was pronounced like that.

“I don’t know, through is pronounced like that!” Bucky exclaimed in response, throwing his arms up as his eyes grew wider. He really wasn’t helping Steve with his whole ignoring that he was in love with Bucky when he looked that cute when he was passionate and angry.

“No, that comes from the G and the H,” Steve clarified, hoping that it was the actual reason for the pronunciation since he didn’t really know. He tried not to think about how little sense English made when you mulled it over.

“HOW DOES A G AND AN H MAKE AN OOH NOISE! IT’S NOT GUH-HUH-LA-LA!” His Skype froze for a second after Bucky threw a pillow at the screen in anger as he yelled. When it finally readjusted, Bucky was glaring at the screen, murmuring furiously in Russian although Steve definitely recognised the word ‘mother fucker’ in his speech. Half of his face was covered by his hair, but it still didn’t hide how adorable Bucky looked when he was angry. It made Steve want to cherish him forever.

Yep, Steve was in love with Bucky Barnes, there was no doubt about it.

 

It was no surprise to Bucky that when Steve finally proposed, he asked him to be his spooze for life. It did confuse everyone around them in the restaurant who didn’t understand, but seeing the light in Bucky’s eyes, the wrinkles near his eyes as he laughed and the tears on his lashes as Steve asked made it worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> come scream with me on [tumblr](https://island-of-asteria.tumblr.com/)


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